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New Prosthetic Hand Features Five Individually Powered Digits |
Lindsay Block has never known what it feels like to lose a hand. She
was born missing the lower part of her left arm as the result of a
birth defect.
 “I never really knew any different,” said Block. “I have learned that the hardest part for amputees is learning to overcome the loss of something you once had. For me, that wasn’t an issue I had to deal with.” Block has been wearing prostheses since the age of 6 and she welcomes both the technology and appearance of the new i-LIMB.
The i-LIMB Hand is a first-to-market prosthetic device with five individually powered digits. This replacement hand looks and acts like a real human hand and represents a generational advance in bionics and patient care.
The i-LIMB Hand is controlled by a unique, highly intuitive control system that uses a traditional two-input myoelectric (muscle signal) to open and close the hand’s life-like fingers. Myoelectric controls utilize the electrical signal generated by the muscles in the remaining portion of the patient’s limb.
The modular construction of the i-LIMB Hand means that each individually powered finger can be quickly removed by simply removing one screw. This means that a prosthetist can easily swap out fingers that require servicing and patients can return to their everyday lives after a short clinic visit. Traditional devices would have to be returned to the manufacturer, often leaving the patient without a hand for many weeks.
“Within the last couple of years, the new cosmetic gloves that have now appeared are really amazing,” she said. “I’ve really enjoyed being able to use the new kinds of gloves that help match my prosthesis to my right hand.”
For more information about the I-LIMB, visit www.AmpuTeam.com
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